Matthew Barnes, the UK chief executive of Tesco, has stepped down from his role to pursue other opportunities after just one year at the supermarket.

He will be replaced by Ashwin Prasad, who is currently Tesco Group’s chief commercial officer, who will take over from the end of June.

Barnes joined the retailer in March 2024, taking on the role from Jason Tarry who stepped down after 33 years last year.

He previously held the role of co-head of Aldi Sud’s executive board, where he was responsible for several of the company’s international businesses and its global sourcing, buying and supply chain.

Tesco said that during Barnes’ leadership, the UK business has performed well, adding that and focus on customers has helped the business build momentum and deliver significant growth.

The company also said that he played an important role in improved operations which simplified and strengthened the business.

Upcoming UK chief executive Ashwin Prasad has been a member of Tesco’s Executive team since 2020.

Tesco said he has successfully led the business through supply chain disruptions, as well as driving trading strategy and accelerating digital marketing transition.

Natasha Adams, currently Tesco Ireland & NI chief executive, has also been appointed to a newly created role on the executive committee as chief strategy & transformation officer, and will start her role on 9 June.

Geoff Byrne, currently chief operating officer in Ireland, has been promoted to Tesco Ireland & NI chief executive.

All Executive roles continue to report to group chief executive Ken Murphy.

“We are winning in the intensely competitive markets we serve and making strong progress delivering our strategic ambitions,” Murphy said. “The changes to our Executive team, which draw on strong internal talent, will set us up to continue delivering a market-leading performance.”

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